Connection insulating cover



oct.-`11, 1960 .P. GREO CONNECTION INSULATING COVER Filed Aug. 1, 1956 IINVENTR 21227 G'fleco %E LM/ ATTO NEY United States Patent O `CONNECTION INSULATING COVER Peter Greca, Norwalk, Con., assigor to Brdy Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 1, 1956, Ser. No. 601,4 86

1 Claim. (CI. 174-438) My invention relates to insulating covers for electrical connections, and more particularly to insulating covers capable of being removed and reused.

For example, in making tap connections to a distribution or overhead run cable, it is desirable to protect a bare neutral or other line running adjacent to one of the cables from touching the connection and shorting the same.

Present methods involve the use of rubber, rubben'zed or plastic tapes. The tape is applied by hand, which is costly, tne consuming and very tedious.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide an insulating cover that may be easily applied to the electrical connection; to provide a cover free of metal fasteners, adhesives, heat or tapes; and to provide a relatively inexpensive one-piece cover that may be readily removed and reused.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will be app-arent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an insulating cover incorporating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevaton of an electrical connection with the insulating cover in open position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a step in the assembly.

Fig. 4 is the finished assembly.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section thereof taken in the plane 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawing, Fig. 2, I have illustrated a form of tap connection on which my cover may be installed. It comprises a connector body indented as at 11 to a run conductor cable 12 and a tap conductor cable 14.

As is illustrated in Fig. 1, my nsulation cover 16, made of flexble rubber or plastic, comprises a flat body portion 18 which is wrapped about the connector body 10. The body has suflicient overlap to permit the locking tab 20 to pass through the slots 22, the shoulder 24 of the tab preventing accidental opening of the cover. Any other suitable securing means may be employed which is insulating in character.

Longitudinally extending from the body portion 18 is an integral tongue portion 26. The tongue portion may be provided with lateral retaining tabs 28 for a purpose hereinafter described.

A cut-out 30 is laterally positoned between the tongue and body portion to accomrnodate the tap conductor. A similar cut-out 32 on the opposite side permits the ice run conductor to extend through the cover when installed, as shown in Fig. 4. This is accomplshed by draping the body section in U-shape over the installed connector body lil, folding back the tongue section between run and tap conductors 12 and 14 and under the draped cover body 18 until retaining tabs 28 extend beyond the ends of the body. An ear portion 34 formed adjacent cut-out 30 provides a protective overlap for the end of the connection. The looking tab 20 is then inserted through Slots 22 until shoulder 24 engages the outside of the slots to secure the assembly in closed position.

As shown in Fig. 5, the periphera-l portion of the connection is insulated against lateral contact with adjacent extending wires which may short the circuit. The insulating cover has sufiicient length to extend beyond the connection and over the nsulation of the run and tap cables. The insulating cover is secure against accidental unloosening. The cover may be one piece and easy to manufacture. It is separate from the connection itself and may be readily installed and removed for reuse, if necessary. i j

The cover may be stamped from a single sheet of flexible rubber, rubberized material, or plastic, or moulded into the desired shape. It is adapted for use in many forms of connections, the tap connection of the drawings and description being one example for such use.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms and uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be cairied out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claim, and by means of which ob jects of my invention are attained and new results accomplshed, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments heren shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

An nsulation cover for installation over an electrcal connection joining a first and a second conductor, said cover comprising water repellant electrical insulating materials; and including a flexible body section adapted to be folded into a U shape; a securng means for the ends of the U to form a completely encircling, closed, insulating cover; a longitudinally extending tongue section joined to said body section; a pair of cut out sections between said tongue and said body to accommodate said conductors; said tongue being provided with lateral tabs, and adapted to be folded over within the body, with said tabs disposed outside said body, thereby securing the free end of the tongue to said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,682 Harrison et al Mar. 10, 1908 2,290,110 McGraw July 14, 1942 2,294,617 Horowitz Sept. 1, 1942 2,545,761 Brink Mar. 20, 1951 2,694,747 Werkhaven Nov. 16, 1954 2,709,033 Overbaugh May 24, 1955 

